The Big Move

If you've walked through Pacific Science Center's Insect Village lately you probably noticed a fenced off area with big holes in the walls. It's the start of some major remodeling that involves some of our animals, many of which will soon be moved.

In a few months, Pacific Science Center's Building 2 will house an exciting new exhibit, Professor Wellbody's Academy of Health and Wellness. While staff and community members are excited, readers of this blog may be wondering, "where will the animals go?" Don't worry! They are not going far, just around the corner into the Ackerley Family Gallery that also houses our Insect Village.

If you are looking for your buddies the naked mole-rats, snakes, axolotls or Lydia the leopard gecko, you will now have a slightly different set of landmarks to follow. As you head into Building 2 from the Dinosaurs, take a left at Science on a Sphere and head into the Insect Village. Go past the giant mantis, through the Insect Village, and then in the doorway to the right of the giant scorpion. You've found their new home.

To prepare for this move, we've made some modifications behind the scenes as well. First and foremost, we had to cut a new door into the wall that separates Building 2 from the Ackerley Family Gallery. This wall was the former exterior of Pacific Science Center and is made of concrete composite. We worked closely with a structural engineer to preserve the integrity of the wall, which meant the door was a little smaller than we hoped for.

Our animals have high demands for power. All are cold blooded, and develop health and behavior problems if not kept at the correct temperatures. The cages require heat lamps and under cage heat, as well as pumps, aeration, humidifiers, lighting and air fans. A new power circuit was added to ensure continuous climate control. 

While we know we will need to watch them closely in their new surroundings, we believe the animals will like this location better. There will be natural light, better sound control, and a more enclosed area which they should find calming. We are prepared to make some adjustments, but anticipate a smooth transition for the animals.